By Tiernan Ray

Here are some things going on this morning in your world of tech:

Shares of Yahoo! (YHOO) are up 13 cents, or 0.8%, at $15.81 following the company’s announcement last night it named Henrique de Castro, formerly the head of Google‘s (GOOG) advertising platforms, as its chief operating officer. Response on the Street seems relatively muted at this point. The sell side this morning head some notes out previewing the quarter, which will be reported this coming Monday, October 22nd. At this point, everyone seems to want to hear more about what the strategy will be.

Apple (AAPL) could have a better outlook than expected when it forecasts fiscal Q1/calendar Q4 results a week from Thursday, October 25th, according to a note this morning from Jefferies & Co.’s Peter Misek.

Misek cites lead times of 3 to 4 weeks in the 31 countries where the iPhone is available, and estimates Apple is producing 500,000 units of the iPhone 5 a day. Writes Misek, “We believe CQ4 iPhone builds have been raised for the first time since the iPhone 5 launch from 55-60M to 60-65M.” He’s sticking with a projection for 55 million units to be shipped last quarter.

Misek also reflects on chatter lately that Apple is moving away from Samsung Electronics (005930KS), speculating that it has given a “major partnership” for its next chip design, the “A7,” to Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), and that it is considering Intel (INTC), as well.

Apple shares this morning are down 26 cents at $634.50. Taiwan Semi stock is up 7 cents, or half a percent, at $15.36.

We finally have a price for Microsoft‘s (MSFT) forthcoming Surface tablet — or do we? The Verge’s Tom Warrenthis morning writes that briefly this morning Microsoft listed on its online store prices of $499 and $599 for the 32 gigabyte model with, and without, a “touch cover,” respectively. There was also a $699 64-gig model, apparently. The listings were subsequently taken down. Warren points out that Microsoft is holding a press reception for Surface on October 25th, and that its 32 “pop-up stores” will be open at midnight at the start of October 26th to sell the device.

Warren writes that the brief online listing suggests the units will be available for pre-order “shortly.”

In related news, Microsoft is apparently planning for 3 million to 4 million units of production of Surface this quarter, according to a report this morning by The Wall Street Journal’s Lorraine Luk, citing unnamed component suppliers.

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There are 12 comments

OCTOBER 16, 2012 10:16 A.M.

ValleyOracle wrote:

iSuupli estimates the manufacturing cost (which is same as assembly cost I assume) is $8 per phone. So Apple paying more per phone, say 10 dollars per phone to ensure a smoother supply line, should cause no noticeable dip in their overall profit margin ...

OCTOBER 16, 2012 10:30 A.M.

Moningohina wrote:

The cost to produce anything in China/other Asian countries are up, not only toward Apple products. You think that Samsung could get away without an increase in cost??

OCTOBER 16, 2012 10:40 A.M.

Bill wrote:

Apple stock without question, BLOWS!

OCTOBER 16, 2012 10:44 A.M.

Steve wrote:

iPredict Apple sinks in the future...Apple is a deceptive company just like Steve Jobs was...

OCTOBER 16, 2012 10:51 A.M.

Clayton wrote:

Higher quality standards... Hmmm I suspect that is why so many people buy iPhones...

OCTOBER 16, 2012 11:00 A.M.

Tab Cocovillea wrote:

Say goodbye to Surface. I predict it will last about as long as the Zune.

OCTOBER 16, 2012 11:02 A.M.

Dan Tanna wrote:

More great news for Apple. I just bought my first iPhone from AT&T! What a beauty. Best phone I've ever owned.

OCTOBER 16, 2012 11:15 A.M.

Seriously? wrote:

@Dan Tanna
You're only 3 years behind...

OCTOBER 16, 2012 11:29 A.M.

Surface wrote:

Microsoft Surface - analysts say has an impossible task ahead...
Isn't that what they said about XBOX vs. PlayStation? Novell vs. Windows Server? Netscape vs. Internet Explorer? Lotus vs. Excel? WordPerfect vs. Word? Don't recognize some of these names - exactly...
Microsoft's strategy has always been to commoditize existing marketplaces and they will succeed because they are the only technology company on the planet with a truly unified vision for computing across both the enterprise and consumer space.

OCTOBER 16, 2012 12:29 P.M.

s randall wrote:

Microsoft's problems in this century go back to their success in the 90s. I used to work for a company that partnered with msft for Windows NT 5, nee Windows 2000/XP, product. Everyone that partners or produces a Windows product spends all of their time trying to figure out the undocumented interfaces that are needed to produce a product that works on Windows. Microsoft used access to this stuff to reward/punish people. So the result was that instead of spending time innovating or trying to figure out ways to make better products, people spend all their time just getting their stuff to work on windows.

So what you now have is an ecosystem where a lot of people have been doing this and lost all ability to innovate. They're depending on msft do that for them, and msft can't. All msft can do is lord over the stuff that they still believe is important, namely the secrets of the Windows Kingdom.

That's why none of Windows PC vendors has been successful in tablets and smart phones. They're like domestic animals in the wild. They're just meat for the other animals that still know how to survive outside the msft pen.

OCTOBER 16, 2012 12:51 P.M.

BuyingOpportunity wrote:

"Bill wrote:
Apple stock without question, BLOWS!"

LOL AAPL is up $15 today. I bought OCT12 655/665 calls for less than a dollar this morning, turned around and sold it just now for $2.70. I still have OCT12 630/640... I love you AAPL bears

OCTOBER 17, 2012 3:18 P.M.

spaceage wrote:

"In related news, Microsoft is apparently planning for 3 million to 4 million units of production of Surface this quarter"

I wonder if the greenpeace dudes will be on their case for making all this junk that will just end up in landfills?

About Tech Trader Daily

Tech Trader Daily is a blog on technology investing written by Barron’s veteran Tiernan Ray. The blog provides news, analysis and original reporting on events important to investors in software, hardware, the Internet, telecommunications and related fields. Comments and tips can be sent to: techtraderdaily@barrons.com.